Treadmill belt of a treadmill trainer, and a treadmill trainer

ABSTRACT

A treadmill belt for a treadmill trainer has slats arranged one behind the other. Each slat has a carrier with a tread, the carrier detachably receiving a cover strip, and the tread being disposed on the cover strip.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from German Application No.DE102016119885.4 filed Oct. 19, 2016, the entire content of which isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates on the one hand to a treadmill belt of atreadmill trainer, wherein the treadmill belt comprises several slatsarranged one behind the other, wherein each slat comprises a carrierwith a tread, and on the other hand to a treadmill trainer with rollersor cylinders spaced apart from each other in running direction forreceiving a treadmill belt.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Treadmill trainers are sufficiently known from the State of the Art.Thus, in particular treadmill trainers are known, where two cylindersspaced apart from each other are provided, on which a treadmill belt isarranged in a circumferential manner. For this purpose, at least onecylinder is driven by an electric motor.

Furthermore, treadmill trainers are known, where the treadmill beltconsists of individual slats. The individual slats are arranged on acircumferential strap on both ends, wherein the two straps are mountedon cylinders or rollers spaced apart from each other in runningdirection, wherein at least one pair of rollers or one cylinder isdriven by an electric motor. If the treadmill belt of a treadmilltrainer is configured in the manner of a rotary conveyor belt, betweenthe cylinders or rollers spaced apart from each other, between which thetreadmill belt is spanned, a table is provided underneath the treadmillbelt over which the treadmill belt is lead. Such a table is required inorder to bear the weight of the runner on the treadmill belt. Comparedwith this, the advantage of a so-called slat-belt treadmill is that suchtable is not required because the weight of the runner is directly borneby the slats, if they have the corresponding stability and/or stiffness.

A treadmill belt of a treadmill trainer is known from the DE 296 15 912U1. Two straps lead via deflection rollers are provided here, whereintread plates are fastened to the straps which comprise a coating.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As has already been explained elsewhere, each strap comprises a carrierwith a tread. The tread can comprise a profiling on its upper side,hence on the running side in order to prevent a slipping of theindividuals running on the treadmill belt. The tread with such aprofiling is made from a plastic material. Now, the desire has oftenbeen expressed to offer different treads for the slats of such aslat-belt treadmill in particular, if such treadmill trainers are usedin the field of therapy, hence, are used, for example, for groups ofpersons where the sense of balance must be practiced. Theexchangeability of the slats can also become necessary within the scopeof maintenance or repairs.

In order to be able to provide a treadmill belt for a treadmill trainerwhich meets the requirements of different groups of persons regardingsurface design of the tread and is easy to maintain, it is suggestedaccording to the invention that the carrier detachably receives a coverstrip with the tread being arranged on the cover strip. By detachable itis meant here that the cover strip is not materially connected in anymanner with the carrier but rather that the cover strip can be receivedby and removed from the carrier as often as desired, in particular thatthe cover strip is slidably received by the carrier. The cover stripscan be designed with different treads so that there is the possibility,when the cover strips can be detachably received by the carrier, toarrange, depending on the requirements, cover strips with differenttreads on the carriers of the slats of the treadmill belts in order tobe able to offer a plurality of different treads for treadmill belts oftreadmill trainers in this way. In the case of the slat-belt treadmillsaccording to the State of the Art, a modification of the tread, inparticular a modification in the structure of the tread, could not soeasily be made, since the slats with the tread are firmly arranged onthe driving belts on both ends, for example, by the fact that the slatsare riveted or screwed with the straps.

Advantageous features and embodiments of the invention result fromcertain embodiments described herein.

It is provided here in particular that the cover strip is lockable onthe carrier, this means that the cover strip is detachably and lockablyarranged on the carrier. In detail, it is furthermore provided in thisconnection that the cover strip is formed as a rail C-shaped incross-section, which can advantageously be slid onto the carrierlaterally, hence in parallel to the longitudinal axis. For locking thecover strip on the carrier, the carrier comprises at least on one end,preferably on both ends, a resiliently yielding locking catch, whereinthe locking catches abut the front ends of the cover strip, this meansthat the locking catches engage the cover strip on the end in abutment,this means, the distance of the locking catches correspondsapproximately to the length of the cover strip. In order to be able todetach the cover strip from the carrier, according to another feature ofthe invention, the respective locking catch projects the cover strip onthe end in order to be able to manually disengage the locking catch fromthe front side of the cover strip. If only one locking catch is providedon one end of the carrier, a fixed abutment can be provided on the otheropposite end.

For arrangement of the treadmill belt on the drive cylinders and/ordrive rollers of the treadmill trainer, the treadmill belt comprises atleast two straps laterally spaced apart from each other, wherein thecarriers comprise means for fixation of the carrier on the respectivestrap, this means that the carrier, for example, is connected with therespective strap by rivets or screws.

It has already been pointed out that by the carrier and/or the pluralityof carriers the weight of the person running on the treadmill trainermust be borne. Insofar it is advantageously provided that the carrier isstiffened in the center, hence, is formed, for example, in the manner ofa framework construction.

The tread arranged on the cover strip is in particular made fromplastic, for example, TPU, PU, TPE etc. and advantageously vulcanized,foamed or glued on the cover strip. A material can be selected for thecover strip, which is particularly suitable for vulcanization and/orfoaming or glueing and, if required, differs from the material of thecarrier. Possible are other materials such as, for example, wood, rubberand stones, which are connected with the cover strip, for example, arescrewed with the cover strip.

For therapy purposes, it can be provided according to anotheradvantageous feature of the invention that the tread of at least one,preferably a plurality of cover strips arranged one behind the othercomprises on the running side a structured surface with peaks andvalleys. A treadmill belt provided with such a surface is particularlysuitable for the use for therapy purposes, if, for example, patients forpracticing the sense of balance shall learn again to walk on unevenground.

In this connection it is in particular provided that at a plurality ofcover strips arranged directly one behind the other, arrangement of thepeaks and valleys is such that the tread in transition between the coverstrips does not comprise any abrupt edges but that gentle transitionsexist in the contouring between two adjacent cover strips. This meansthat there is no risk of stumbling or that the foot bends over since thecontouring of the tread of the individual cover strips in terms of acontinuous transition is adjusted to each other.

The subject matter of the invention is likewise a treadmill trainer withrollers or cylinders spaced apart from each other in running directionfor receiving a treadmill belt, wherein the treadmill belt ischaracterized by the features of one or several of the above describedbelts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

By means of the drawings, the invention is explained in more detail byway of an example.

FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic view of a treadmill trainer;

FIG. 2 is a perspective schematic view of a treadmill belt according toan embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a slat of a treadmill belt according toan embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view of a slat, wherein the cover strip is not yet entirelyslid onto the carrier;

FIG. 4a is a view of the cover strip in sectional view with the tread;

FIG. 5 is a view of the cover strip and carrier according to FIG. 4 in aside view;

FIG. 6 is a view of the slat from below; and

FIG. 7 is a view of a treadmill belt, wherein the tread of the slatscomprises a contouring with peaks and valleys.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The treadmill trainer designated in general with 1 comprises thetreadmill belt designated with 2 which has several slats 10 arranged onebehind the other.

The formation of the treadmill belt results in detail when viewing FIG.2; the treadmill belt 2 shown in FIG. 2 has two straps 3 laterallyspaced apart from each other, wherein the carriers designated with 12 ofthe slats 10 are arranged on the straps. For fixation of the carriers 12on the straps 3 serve two screws or rivets 13 each arranged next to eachother. The cover strips designated with 15 can be laterally slid ontothe individual carriers 12. The formation of the cover strips 15 and theconnection of the cover strips 15 with the carrier 12 results inparticular from FIG. 3 and the following figures. At first, one can seefrom FIG. 4a that the cover strip designated with 15 is formed as aC-shaped rail 16 in cross-section which comprises the tread 17 on itsupper side. The carrier 12 shows a carrier rail 12 a which, as resultsfrom FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, is positively encompassed by the C-shaped rail16 of the cover strip 15 on the longitudinal sides. The carrier rail 12a of the carrier 12 has a locking catch 20 on both ends (see inparticular FIG. 4, FIG. 6), wherein the distance of the two lockingcatches 20 to each other corresponds approximately to the length of theC-shaped rail 16 of the cover strip 15. As a consequence, the C-shapedrail 16 is unmovable on the carrier rail 12 a of the carrier 12 by thelocking catches 20. In order to be able to remove the cover strip 15from the carrier rail 12 a of the carrier 12, it is sufficient tomanually bend downwards the resiliently yielding locking catch 20pursuant to the arrow 22 according to FIG. 5. Hence, it results fromFIG. 6 as to how the cover strip 16 is removed from the carrier 12and/or slid onto the carrier 12. In order to increase its stiffness, thecarrier 12 has a reinforcement 25 in the form of a frameworkconstruction on its underside in order to minimize deflection of thecarrier 12 in the case of burden due to individuals standing on thetreadmill belt.

Subject matter of the invention is also the formation of the tread.Insofar, reference is made to FIG. 7. Individual slats 10 are providedhere, wherein a plurality of the slats 10 arranged one behind the othercomprises a tread 17 on the cover strip, which has a plurality of peaks19 and valleys 19 a, wherein transition of the valleys and peaks betweenthe individual slats does not occur abruptly but continuously. By such acontoured surface of the treadmill belt there is the possibility, by wayof therapy, for example, to train individuals who have balancedisorders.

As will be clear to those of skill in the art, the herein describedembodiments of the present invention may be altered in various wayswithout departing from the scope or teaching of the present invention.It is the following claims, including all equivalents, which define thescope of the present invention.

1. A treadmill belt for a treadmill trainer, comprising: a plurality ofslats arranged one behind the other, each slat having; a carrier; and acover strip having a tread defined thereon, the carrier detachablyreceiving the cover strip.
 2. The treadmill belt according to claim 1,wherein the cover strip is lockable on the carrier.
 3. The treadmillbelt according to claim 1, wherein the cover strip comprises as a railhaving a C-shaped cross-section.
 4. The treadmill belt according toclaim 2, wherein the carrier has a resiliently yielding locking catch onat least one end of the carrier, the resiliently yielding locking catchoperable to lock the cover strip on the carrier
 5. The treadmill beltaccording to claim 4, wherein the carrier has the resiliently yieldinglocking catch on both ends of the carrier.
 6. The treadmill beltaccording to claim 4, wherein one end of the cover strip abuts one ofthe ends of the carrier when the cover strip is received onto thecarrier, the locking catch engaging the cover strip on the end inabutment.
 7. The treadmill belt according to claim 4, wherein a portionof the locking catch projects from an the cover strip when the coverstrip is received onto the carrier.
 8. The treadmill belt according toclaim 1, further comprising: at least two circumferential strapslaterally spaced apart from each other; each of the carriers has afixing element attaching the respective carrier on the respectivestraps.
 9. The treadmill belt according to claim 1, wherein each carrieris stiffened in a center of the carrier.
 10. The treadmill beltaccording to claim 1, wherein each tread is vulcanized, glued or foamedon the respective cover strip.
 11. The treadmill belt according to claim1, wherein the treads of a plurality of the cover strips arranged onebehind the other define a continuous running surface with peaks andvalleys.
 12. The treadmill belt according to claim 11, wherein the peaksand valleys are defined such that there are no abrupt edges intransition between two adjacent cover strips.
 13. The treadmill beltaccording to claim 1, wherein the materials of the carriers and thematerials of the cover strips are different from each other.
 14. Atreadmill trainer, comprising: rollers or cylinders spaced apart fromeach other in a running direction for receiving a treadmill belt; and atreadmill belt according claim 1.